| Title | Geoffrey Khan’s Contribution to the Problem of Biblical Hebrew Consecutive weqaṭal |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Bo Isaksson(author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0463.01 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0463/chapters/10.11647/obp.0463.01 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Bo Isaksson; |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2025-03-07 |
| Long abstract | The article critically evaluates the explanation of the Biblical Hebrew weqaṭal clause-type, particularly in relation to Geoffrey Khan’s research on its historical and typological development. Weqaṭal, a clause type expressing future or habitual meanings, is considered enigmatic due to its divergence from the expected past tense interpretation of qaṭal forms. The study discusses two key components of Khan’s argument: the typological parallels with the Neo-Aramaic subjunctive form bət-qaṭəl and the application of Joan Bybee’s construction theory. The article explores the semantic and syntactic evolution of weqaṭal from its original function as an apodosis in conditional sentences to a broader use as a clause type marking discourse dependency. Khan’s proposed schematisation, which highlights step-by-step extensions of weqaṭal’s functions, is situated within the broader Northwest Semitic linguistic framework. The study also addresses potential limitations and the need for further research, particularly regarding the interplay between weqaṭal and other clause types like yiqṭol. |
| Page range | pp. 5–36 |
| Print length | 32 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
| Landing Page | Full text URL | Platform | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0463/chapters/10.11647/obp.0463.01 | Landing page | https://books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp.0463.01.pdf | Full text URL |
Bo Isaksson (PhD, Uppsala University 1987) is Emeritus Professor of Semitic Languages at Uppsala University. His research concerns Classical Hebrew text linguistics and Arabic dialectology. In recent years he has initiated two international research projects on clause linking in Semitic languages which have generated the publications Clause Combining in Semitic (AKM 96, Harrassowitz 2015), Strategies of Clause Linking in Semitic Languages (AKM 93, Harrassowitz 2014), and Circumstantial Qualifiers in Semitic: The Case of Arabic and Hebrew (AKM 70, Harrassowitz 2009). These projects have formed the basis for the research presented in this book. Most recent publication: The Verb in Classical Hebrew: The Linguistic Reality behind the Consecutive Tenses (University of Cambridge Faculty or Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Open Book Publishers, 2024).